~All about Ekadasi~

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Comment by Narayanididi.fr on October 2, 2009 at 1:34am

Ps: i did not inquire about Caturmasya

Comment by Narayanididi.fr on October 2, 2009 at 1:34am

Thank you didi Saravit Devi Dasi for your informations, but you are not answering my question, why, those foodstuffs are not allowed because they do not seem to be grains to me. Thanx again to take time to find out.

Comment by Saravit Devi Dasi on September 29, 2009 at 10:28am

Hare Krishna Mataji Narayanididi. As I understand what you mention are Restricted foods during the months of Caturmasya:

- Tomatoes, eggplants, runner beans, loki, parmal, urad dahl and honey.

Particular foods that are restricted during each of the four months:

First month: No leafy vegetables such as spinach, salads of all types, cabbages of all types, kale, leafy herbs such as coriander, mint, parsley, curry, and powdered leafy herbs.

Second month: No yogurt (if one requires for health, it can be mixed with water)

Third month: No milk (if required, it can be mixed with lemon juice).

Fourth month: No mustard oil nor sesame seeds.

Foods that can be taken all days of the year, including Ekadasi and Caturmasya:

-All fruits (fresh and dried), all nuts and oils made from nuts.

-Potatoes, pumpkin, cucumber, radish, squash (but no loki), green papaya, lemon, jackfruit, avocado, olives, coconut, buckwheat, all sugars.

-All milk products except pure milk and yogurt during Caturmasya and sweets with starches on Ekadasi.

Comment by Narayanididi.fr on September 29, 2009 at 8:58am

Can, please, anyone tell me why, in the Goudiya Matha, tomatoes, eggplants, spinash, as well as honey are not allowed on (strict ?) ek das, I mean ékadasi ?

Comment by Saravit Devi Dasi on September 28, 2009 at 10:52am

Pasankusa Ekadasi
From the Brahma-vaivarta PurANa.

Yudhishthira maharaj said, Oh MadhusUdana, what is the name of the EkAdasii that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Ashvina (September - October)? Please be merciful and disclose this truth to me."

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna replied, "Oh king, please listen as I explain the glories of this EkAdasii - PApankusha EkAdasii - which removes all sins. On this day one should worship the Deity of Padmanabha, the lotus naveled Lord Vishnu, according to the rules of archana viddhi (regulations). By so doing, one achieves whatever heavenly pleasures one may want in this world, and at last attains liberation from this world thereafter. Simply by offering one's humbly obeisances unto Lord Vishnu, the rider of GaruDa, one can achieve the same merit as is gained by performing great penances for a long time restraining and controlling the senses. Although a person might have committed unlimited and abominable sins, he can still escape hellish punishment just by paying his obeisances to Lord Sri Hari, the taker away of all sin."

"The merits gained by going on pilgrimage to the Holy Tirthas of this earthly planet can also be achieved simply by chanting the Holy names of Lord Vishnu. Whosoever chants these sacred names - such as RAma, Vishnu, Janardana or Krishna - especially on EkAdasii, never sees YamarAj, the king of death's punishing abode. Nor does such a devotee who fasts on PApankusha EkAdasii, which is very dear to Me, see that plutonic abode."

"Both the Vaishnava who criticises Lord Shiva and the Shaivite (Saivite) who criticises Me certainly go to hell. The merit obtained by performing one hundred horse sacrifices and one hundred Rajasurya sacrifices is not even equal to one sixteenth of the merit a devotee is able to attain by fasting on EkAdasii. There is no higher merit one can achieve than that attained by fasting on EkAdasii. Indeed, nothing in all the three worlds is as pleasing or as able to purify one of accumulated sin as EkAdasii, the day of the lotus-naveled Lord, Padmanabha.

"O king, until a person observes a fast on the day of Lord Padmanabha named PApANkusha EkAdasii, he remains sinful, and the reactions of his past sinful activities never leave him like a chaste wife. There is no merit in all the three worlds that can match the merit that one gains by observing a fast on this EkAdasii. Whosoever observes it faithfully never has to see death personified, Lord YamarAj. One who desires liberation, elevation to the heavens, good health, beautiful women, wealth, and food grains should simply fast on this PAshunkushA EkAdasii. O king, neither the Ganges, Gaya, Kashi, nor Pushkara, nor even the Holy site of Kurukshetra, can grant as much auspicious merit as this PApankusha EkAdasii.

"O MaharAj Yudhishthira, protector of the earth, after observing ekadasi during the daytime, the devotee should remain awake through the night, absorbed in hearing, chanting and serving the lord - for by so doing he easily attains to the Supreme abode of Lord Vishnu. Not only that, but ten generations of ancestors on his mother's side, ten generations on his father's side, and ten generations on his wife's side are all liberated by a single observance of a fast on this EkAdasii. All these ancestors attain their original, four armed transcendental Vaikuntha forms. Wearing yellow garments and beautiful garlands, they ride to the spiritual realm on the back of GaruDa, the renown great enemy of the snakes. This is the benediction My devotee earns simply by observing one PApANkusha EkAdasii properly.

"O best of kings, whether one is a child, a youth, or in old age, fasting on PApankusha EkAdasii frees him from all sins and makes him immune to suffering a hellish rebirth. Whosoever observes a fast on the PApankusha EkAdasii becomes free of all his sins and returns to the spiritual abode of Lord Sri Hari. Whosoever donates gold, sesame seeds, fertile land, cows, grain, drinking water, an umbrella, or a pair of shoes on this most auspicious of Holy days will never have to visit the abode of YamarAj, who always punishes the sinners. But if a resident of earth fails to perform spiritual deeds, especially the observance of a fast on days such as EkAdasii, his breathing is said to be no better, or of as much use as the breathing/puffing of a blacksmith's bellows.

"O best of the kings, especially on this PApAnkusha EkAdasii, even the poor should first bathe and then give some charity according to their means, and perform other auspicious activities in accordance with their ability.

"Whosoever performs sacrifices and benefits the people, or builds public ponds, resting places, gardens, or houses does not suffer the punishments of YamarAj. Indeed, one should understand that a person much have performed such pious activities as these in the past life if he is long lived, wealthy, of high birth, or free from all diseases. But a person who observes PApANkusha EkAdasii goes to the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu.)

Lord Sri Krishna then concluded, "Thus, Oh saintly Yudhishthira, I have narrated to you the glories of the auspicious PApANkusha EkAdasii."

Thus ends the narration of the glories of the PApANkusha EkAdasii, or Ashwina-shukla EkAdasii,
from the Brahma-vaivarta PurANa.

These stories have been summarised and slightly changed or abbreviated from how they are found in the celebrated book, "Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari" 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press, pages 125-128.

Comment by Saravit Devi Dasi on August 16, 2009 at 6:37pm

Comment by Saravit Devi Dasi just now Delete Comment Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's standard for Ekadasi:
He used sesame seeds, mustard seeds, and peanuts - see Yamuna's Table Cookbook.
Vanila is a POD not a bean.
Check hing to make sure it is free from wheat and rice flour - get the pure resin hing and grate it to fine powder.
PIZZA POTATOES
Serves: 4
Some steamed broccoli and a large tossed salad complete this simple meal.
Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
1 cup marinara sauce, or more as needed
1 to 1/2 cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

pizza sauce mix
1 can of chopped tomatoes or 4 medium tomatoes cooked skinned and chopped
2 tble spoons virgin olive oil
1 tsp sweet basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
1tsp salt

Bake or microwave the potatoes until done. When cool enough to handle, cut each in half lengthwise. Fluff the inside of each potato half with a fork.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce on each potato half, followed by 2 to 3 tablespoons grated cheese. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.
Happy and auspicious ekadasi!

Comment by Narayanididi.fr on July 21, 2009 at 11:03am

Jaya Radhé Narayani dd, I went to Murwilumbah one year, Gurudéva was there and one devotee told me about you. We have the same name and I am very happy to know you, Haribolo.

Comment by Anuradha Somershein on July 3, 2009 at 12:33pm

A big Ekadasi prep that everyone likes is. Pumpkin paneer soup. boil the pumpkin in water till cooked, then smash. Add black pepper, tumeric, salt. 1/2 tsp ghee just for flavour. Powdered milk for creaminess.Fried Paneer toward the end.

Comment by Bhanumati on March 28, 2009 at 6:27am

Haribol! Jai Gurudev!
Does anyone have any Ekadashi recipies they would like to share?
Thank you in advance,
Bhanumati